According to a cancer organisation, over 79 per cent of women are ignorant of the common symptoms of ovarian cancer and are being misdiagnosed by doctors. Most women ignore the usual symptoms of ovarian cancer, such as bloating, feeling full, and the urgent need to urinate, according to Target Ovarian Cancer.
Women are also misdiagnosed by doctors, who frequently mix key indicators of the disease with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), resulting in a late cancer diagnosis. According to the charity's poll, 79 per cent of women are ignorant that bloating is a symptom of the illness, and 99 per cent are uninformed that the desire to pee more frequently is also a clue.
Another 97 per cent of those polled had no idea that feeling full was a typical symptom of cancer, and 68 per cent had no idea that stomach pain was a marker of the disease. Nearly half of those polled also believed that cervical cancer screenings detected ovarian cancer signs. The figures were 'extremely disappointing,' according to Annwen Jones, CEO of Target Ovarian Cancer.
“Knowing the symptoms is crucial for everyone," she said, "We know we’ve shifted the dial in the past 10 years through the dedication of thousands of Target Ovarian Cancer’s campaigners, but it is not enough."